Far from devastating

Gritty garage bands are staples of American music that never seem to fade away. From the underground clubs of major cities to the actual garages of Midwestern teens across the country, the DIY ethic of the rough-and-tumble rock sound is as accessible as it is raw.

Its newest incarnation, straight from the roster of Bloomington label Secretly Canadian, comes in the form of Devastator, the latest release from the raucous soul-and-blues-infused band Catfish Haven.

As the Chicago group’s third release, Devastator is an earnest garage-rock staple, capitalizing on the band’s unique fusion of blue-eyed soul with singer George Hunter’s vocals, reminiscent of legends like Joe Cocker.

Although they strip down to the bare essentials of a basic, three-piece garage trio, Catfish Haven don’t just rely on bare-bones rock to make it through the album’s 13 songs. Ambition runs throughout the album that separates it from the recent blues-rock resurgence.

The record starts with beckons of “Are you ready?” that draw the listener into the band’s vibrant and soulful Southern-stained melodies.

When the title track kicks in with a rollicking bass line, chiming tambourines and punching saxophones, Catfish recalls the nostalgia of the Stax Records soul sound, but as guitars break in halfway through, the song shakes the listener back into modern reality.

Lending to the band’s diverse sound, “Set In Stone” leads with a guitar riff reminiscent of Prince’s “Kiss” that soon after breaks with bravado into a ’70s disco groove.

Although the band can’t quite pull it off convincingly, their attempt at a throwback is more than admirable and adds to the colorful landscape of the record.

As the album progresses, it gets better. Catfish are clearly at their best when harping on their solid garage roots.

“Halftime Show,” the album’s lone instrumental number, rings of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Proud Mary,” rocking and reeling into the next track “Full Speed,” which plays out as a wonderfully gritty garage drag.

Devastator is a straightforward attempt to create music at a raw and honest level, and in their callback to music of decades past, Catfish Haven more than accomplished that feat.